Betrothed at Birth
by Twilight09911
Summary: The book worm and the manwhore, forced together by a betrothal, leading to an unhappy marriage. They pretend for their families, but is it enough to get them through? Set in modern day. *Disclaimer: I own nothing. The Twilight Saga and everything involved belongs to Stephanie Meyer.
1. Consummation

The blaring of the alarm clock woke me out of my haze.

It was Monday. Everything was the same.

I still lived in Seattle. I was still a second grade teacher at Olympic Hills Elementary.  
And, I was still Isabella Marie Cullen.

I remember my wedding day as if it were yesterday. It was a bright, beautiful, sunny day- rare in Seattle. I was happy, ecstatic even. I was making my momma proud, something I always tried to do, but never quite measured up to. I remember the joy I felt walking on Charlie's arm to the traditional wedding march.

One word to describe the wedding; traditional. I was dressed in a long, white, flowing gown. My bridesmaids wore long, light, peach dresses. And, it was held at the Cullen Estate. I remember my mother and Esme smiling through tears on either side of the aisle. I remember my father's tense form. I remember the nervousness I felt at being watched by so many people, and the fear that my clumsiness would take the most inopportune time to appear. That I'd trip in front of all of the socially elite guests our parents invited, seated in the elegant cream chairs to my left and right. I also remember the forced smile and dread in my grooms eyes when I finally looked at something other than my feet.

After that, it's all a blur.

I don't remember all of the people I greeted with shaky hands and a forced smile. I'm sure they were very nice. I don't remember the dinner we ate, though I'm sure it was delicious. My last memory of my wedding was Edward's forced out "I do" as though it took all of his strength to utter the words. As thought he meant anything but.

I was pulled out of my reminiscing from my alarm, blaring once again. To make up for lost time I had to rush through my morning routine. I grabbed the first outfit I could get my hands on; a cream pencil skirt and a pale pink blouse. It was a little dressy for my taste, but my bloodline, surname, and Alice took the choice out of my hands.  
I threw my hair into a bun, grabbing my charcoal blazer and heels and sprinted out of my eternally empty bedroom, into the kitchen.

"You're late."

I spun around from my post at the coffee pot to see Edward bringing his own cup of coffee to his lips with his left hand. No ring. I shouldn't be surprised and my heart shouldn't feel heavy, but it does. It always does. My own ring seemed to be burning a hole through my left ring finger, and my cheeks burned crimson.

"I am. And, you're not at work." I said it with my back turned as I screwed the lid onto my travel mug.

"I'm going in late." He wasn't even looking at me as he said this. Instead, his attention was intently focused out of the kitchen window.

"Right. Well if I don't hurry, so will I." I turned around sliding on my shoes and slipping into my blazer, grabbing my purse, and coffee on the way.

I, of course, did not receive a response. And, as I walked out of the door I wasn't sure how I felt about that. How much longer could I live like this?

***  
School was normal. Or as normal as it can be with a class of 24 second graders. Alice came to my classroom trying to con me into lunch- she teaches fifth grade here-but I was too distracted. And she, as usual, understood. Alice is the only person outside of my 3 year marriage that knew it was anything less than stellar. She was my best friend. Had been since we'd been in diapers. I didn't want her, or anyone for that matter, to know my marriage was a sham. That I was living a lie. But she saw through the fake smiles we gave, the tenseness in our held hands. She just knew.

All day I kept going back to the forced conversation with Edward this morning. Now, as I left the school and got into my car, I couldn't help but realize something. It was a short conversation. But, sadly, it was one of the longest conversations of our marriage.

I had known I would marry Edward Cullen, my mom told me when I was 17. She said, "Bella, honey, I know Michael likes you, and you might like him. But, you're betrothed, practically engaged! I'm not telling you what to do, sweetheart. Just remember what I said. Don't get your heart broken when you walk down that aisle to Edward, not Michael Newton or anyone else." And that was the last we talked about it.

My mother didn't forbid me from dating. But I couldn't do it. It felt wrong, like I was cheating. Which is ironic considering the revolving door of girls in and out of Edwards's life at the time. The moment I started high school-Edward was a senior-I got to see this all for myself. Though Edward and I were frequently around each other outside of school, we rarely spoke inside the walls of Forks High. I couldn't reconcile the sweet, funny Edward I knew from our parents' shared cabin to the cold, uncaring Edward I saw at school.

So, the door kept revolving. Specifically, for Tanya Denali. The bane of my existence. She was an outsider of Forks, only coming to Forks High our freshman year, but she thought she was better than anyone. She didn't think flaws were worthy of her. She thought she walked on water, because she caught the attention of Edward Cullen. Which admittedly, wasn't hard to do. If you had boobs, and legs, you had his attention. Tanya made it no secret she hated me. And till this day, I haven't found out why.  
It couldn't be the fact that the guy she thought was her soulmate, the guy she was avidly having sex with behind the bleachers, was going to marry me. No, it couldn't be that, because only our families knew. Edward was too embarrassed for anyone else to know.

I thought I had escaped Tanya Denali. I thought once I graduated high school, I'd get married, move to Seattle, get a house with Edward, and move on.  
But then, on one of my many hospital trips, I was introduced to the new receptionist, Ms. Denali. She was here. In Seattle. With me. And Edward.

Before I knew it I was sitting in my driveway, when my phone stared to ring. "Hello?"

"Bella? Hey! It's me. Alice. Anyway, I was thinking we should do dinner. Meet me at that cute little sushi place by your house in 30, yeah? Oh, and wear that blue dress I got you a couple of weeks ago. It will look really good with the shoes you wore today. Oh, I gotta go. Bye, Bella. Love ya."

And the line went dead.

I pulled up to the sushi place in the back of a cab, freshly changed, ready to meet Alice's approval. I walked to the hostess stand prepared to ask for a reservation for Brandon, when I saw a ball of spiky, black hair bouncing in a booth in the corner of my eye. As I approached the table Alice already has the food waiting for us.

"Eat fast, Bella. We're meeting Edward and Jas in 20 at the new club."

As I walked into the club with Alice dragging me, I couldn't help but be confused. I never went out, especially to clubs, and certainly not with Edward. I was still trying to figure all of this out when Alice pushed me into the booth with Edward, across from her and Jasper, Edward's cousin and her husband of a year.

"Helloooo, Bella. You look very," he paused to hiccup, "pretty." I turned my head to look at my highly intoxicated husband and gave him a small thank you. Still not completely comfortable in this situation, and a little more than shocked because he never talked to me, let alone gave me compliments, I missed part of the conversation.

"…I ship out next week." Jasper was finishing his sentence as I turned to Ali and noticed the sadness and dread in her eyes. Jasper was in the army, and was currently on leave. It tore Alice apart every time Jas left, but she tried to be strong.

"How long will you be gone for?" As soon as the words were out of my mouth, Alice turned herself into Jasper's shoulder.

"6 months."

I jumped not expecting my inebriated husband to be coherent right now. "Jas, why don't you and Ali go home. Spend some time together before you leave. Don't waste your time in this place." I couldn't stand seeing my best friend like this and as soon as Alice heard my suggestion, her shoulders slumped in what looked like relief.

"Are you sure? You guys will have to take a cab though, nether of us drove." He said with a hopeful expression of his face, pointing between himself and Edward.

I nodded my head yes. "I need to get him home soon, anyway." After saying goodbye to our friends, I herded Edward into an awaiting cab, told the cabbie our address, and prayed Edward wouldn't fall asleep on the way.

I managed to get Edward up the steps to the front porch, when I started looking for my house keys. I dug around my purse desperately trying to find them, when Edward's hand ran across my butt, up my back, and dangled a set of house keys in front of me.

"Here you go." I took the proffered keys and stuttered out a thank you, not sure what was going on. As soon as the door was open Edward, had me pushed up against it and kissed me for the first time since our wedding day. I'm not sure why, but I allowed him to. I'm even more confused as to why I wrapped my legs around his waist and let him take me upstairs.

As I drifted off to sleep that night with a smile on my face, and Edwards's arms wrapped around my waist as he lightly snored, I couldn't help but let out a contented sigh. We had a lot to talk about, a lot of things to sort out, but we had consummated our marriage finally, after 3 years and I was wondering if maybe, just maybe, things were starting to look up.


	2. News of a Lifetime

I woke up the next morning feeling groggy and sore. I tried to process everything in my sleep-induced haze. Then it all came back to me.

Edward. Door. Stairs. Bed.

I looked over my shoulder in alarm, searching for someone that wasn't there. I got out of bed and slipped my robe over my naked form, disappointed, and more than a little hurt. On my way to the bathroom, I heard the front door slam. I ran to my window, stubbing my toe in my haste. I made it just in time to see Edward getting into a cab.  
With a suitcase. I ran to my phone as quick as I could, down the stairs by the front door where my purse ended up the previous night. I dialed his number, listing to the trite dial tone with impatience.

"Hello?"

"Edward!" It came out breathless-a product of my sprint to my phone. "Where are you going? I saw you leave with your suitcase."

"I have a case in Oregon." He said with confusion in his voice. "Bella, I never tell you when I'm leaving, this isn't any different." Frustration clear in his voice.

"Well, uh yeah I just thought…"

"Jesus, Bella, spit it out."

"I mean because las-last night. I just thought it was different now."

"That changed nothing. I'm still Edward, your still Bella, I'm still on my way to Oregon, and I still don't tell you about my trips. Everything is the same. It changed nothing." His voice got increasingly louder with each word.

"Edward…" I croaked. My tears making my voice sound rough, and scratchy.

"I gotta go, bye Bella."

Stunned, I stood with my phone against my ear after the call ended. I guess nothing changed after all. As I made it through my morning routine, I realized-sadly-that Edward leaving on extended business trips without me knowing really was not out of the norm. Edward worked with our fathers in their law firm and often visited to see clients. This was nothing out of the ordinary, and I was disappointed in myself that I believed for one second that anything had changed.

I went through school in a daze. My fellow teachers avoided me, and my students behaved exceptionally well. Fearing my less than short temper, I suppose. Alice attempted to cheer me up, but I just wasn't in the mood. Sex wasn't going to solve all of our problems. I know that. I knew that then. But a part of me is so desperate to improve our marriage I guess I was willing to try anything. Including giving my virtue to a guy who couldn't even tell me he was leaving for a month. Irrational as it seems, I thought our night would have done something, anything. But, with my luck, I'm going to be stuck, alone, in our house that was entirely too big for the two of us, a.k.a. the crime scene.

I went home, ate a meager dinner, showered, and cried myself to sleep.

So became my routine for the next three weeks occasionally adding grading papers, or spending time with Alice or Esme, regardless of the fact that I was probably terrible company.

I felt somewhat of a petulant child, and knew that pouting wasn't going to solve anything, that I needed to talk to someone, anyone about this, because clearly I was clueless.  
But I couldn't. I was lost, utterly and completely lost. I couldn't make sense of anything dealing with Edward anymore. I knew Edward's treatment of women wasn't exactly favorable, but as cliche as it is, I was hoping I was different. I mean, I am his wife. I also knew that we've only talked in passing these past 3 years. The whole time, I knew I should do something about it, that the way we were living wasn't healthy. But, I was terrified to have "the talk" with him. Scared to hear him utter those ugly 7 letters.

Divorce.

I tried to rationalize it all. What did all the sweet murmurings mean? The 'I love you's' and the 'I'm sorry's'. Did he mean them? Was he so drunk and caught up in the moment that he said things that he wouldn't dare say to me? Does he say it to all of his sex toys? Is that what I am? A sex toy? These questions were on a constant repeat in my head everyday. I went to work, graded papers, ate dinner, slept. However, during all the chaos, I became sick. I threw up at random intervals everyday and I couldn't seem to get enough sleep. Ever. I thought about going to the doctor but figured it could wait, always promising I'd go the next day. Or the next. Or the one after that.

I woke up this morning feeling worse than I ever had. As soon as I woke up, I was on my way to the bathroom spilling the contents of my stomach. Afterwards, I of course felt utterly disgusting and heaved myself off of the floor and into the shower. Everything tired me out and I could barely finish washing my body. I decided that if I could barely make it through my shower, then gracing Olympic Hills Elementary with my presence this Thursday morning probably wasn't the best idea. I grabbed the house phone and called the school. They were very understanding, commenting that I never missed a day, and that I was very dedicated. I wasn't exactly dedicated per se, but I more or less saw teaching as an escape from my loveless marriage and the ornately decorated halls of my tragically empty house. Don't get me wrong, I loved my job, and it just so happened to grant a reprieve.

I walked downstairs still feeling worn out from getting rid of my whole stomach this morning. And as opposed as my stomach seemed to be at the idea, I figured that I couldn't live on an empty stomach forever. I stood over the stove cooking my latest obsession-eggs-when Edward walked through the garage door leading into the kitchen. As always, he ignored me. Or so I thought.

"Bella, I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have been so rude to you over the phone." As he said this he placed a bag of breakfast food on the counter that I probably would have normally thought smelt delicious. Except now. Whatever stomach bug I had sent me running to the sink, with my hand over my mouth, the second I smelt the food. After I got rid of what little was left in my stomach, I turned around extremely embarrassed, to look at Edward. Except instead of seeing annoyance as I expected, I saw worry.

"Bella? Are you alright?" He even added the furrowed worried brow. He's a better actor than I thought.

"I'm fine, Edward. It's just a stomach bug. I've had it for a week or two now, it should go away soon." I said as I walked over to see my prized egg breakfast charred in the pan.

"A week! Bella, that's not normal. I'll take you to the hospital." He said, as he grabbed his keys.

"Edward, why do you even care? More importantly, you talk to me now?"

"Listen Bella, I said I was sorry and I meant it. I did some thinking while I was gone." Hope filled every part of my being. "And, we can just forget about all of that, right? I mean it was nothing. Nothing at all. And, we can get past this. Maybe be friends."

"Edward, do you hear yourself?" I shouted, my face red. "We're married! I'm not your coworker! Christ! Friends? Are you fucking kidding me?"

Edward took advantage of my distraction during my ranting and started to drag me to his car.I was too mad to protest.

"Isabella Cullen?" A middle aged nurse wearing Winnie the Pooh scrubs called from the front of the ER.

When I got up, Edward stared to follow me, but he sat back down with one glare from me. I followed nurse Cope-she introduced herself on our walk to the room-and sat on the indicated bed in the generic hospital room.

"Dr. Gerandy will be right with you, dear." And with a pat on the hand, and a smile she left. I waited for about 15 minutes until a aging man with salt and pepper hair, square glasses, and a lab coat walked in.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Gerandy. I read your file it says you've been experiencing nausea and extreme fatigue?" He looked at me for confirmation. At my nod, he looked back down at the file. "How long has this been going on?"

"A few weeks, maybe. I don't know. But I was thinking it was the stomach flu? Some of my kids at school had it recently."

He hummed in response as he turned around gathering supplies. "I'm going to take some blood okay? Confirm my suspicions." He said as he opened the needle and cleaned my arm. I had a history of fainting where blood was involved, so I kept my attention trained elsewhere.

"You're married Isabella?" I think he sensed my apprehension, and this was his attempt to distract me. Lucky for him, this particular subject distracted me quite often. I looked at the doctor and nodded my head yes, not trusting my voice. "How long have you been married?"  
"Three years." I said in a distracted voice.

He hummed again. "Well I'm all done. If this is what I think it is, prepare yourself for good news Mrs. Cullen." And he too left with a smile.

Dr. Gerandy came back a half hour later saving me from almost death by boredom.

"Well Mrs. Cullen, I'm not going to drag this out, I'm sure you'll want to go spread the good news to that husband of yours." Cue his smile. "Congratulations, you're pregnant."


	3. The Reveal

After Dr. Gerandy had imparted what he believed to be the greatest news of my marriage, I found myself walking back to the waiting room in a daze. How is this happening? I know the mechanics of the situation, sure, but am I really meant to raise a child in a loveless home? Is one time really all it takes? If so, I have even worse luck than I thought.

I barely noticed a seemingly worried Edward running his hands through his hair, sitting in an uncomfortable plastic chair as I walked out of the waiting room and towards the parking lot. Edward seemed concerned, but his so-called worry was the least of my problems at the moment-not to mention the confusion his concern was causing me. Deciphering Edward's misplaced concerned would have to wait. The fetus currently growing in my womb was taking precedence.

I heard Edward shouting my name as he jogged to catch up with me, reaching me as I walked out of the automatic sliding doors of the emergency room. He immediately asked what the doctor said, but questions were playing on a constant loop in my head, giving me little want to entertain my husband.

What am I to do when Edward tells me that our baby is a mistake too? That he has no interest in fathering a child of mine? Because I know, without a doubt, that Edward doesn't want this. He left without a word after that fateful night. If sex-something I knew Edward was highly familiar with-caused him to flee our home then what would the addition of a baby do? One thought stopped me in my tracks completely, causing Edward to almost run into me from behind in his haste to get answers. What if Edward is so against the idea of a baby he wants me to get rid of it?

As Edward expertly pulls out of the hospital parking lot, I distractedly tell him to stop at the pharmacy on the way home. Knowing what he will say, I tell him Dr. Gerandy called in a prescription. As we pull up to the pharmacy, I unbuckle my seatbelt in a daze halted only by the sound of my husband's voice.

"Wait! I'll get it for you." That was enough to snap me out of my haze.

"No you won't!" There is no way I am allowing Edward to go into the pharmacy to pick up my prescription of prenatal vitamins. "Just wait here." As I say this I step out of the car quickly closing the car door behind me.

"At least let me come with you, Bell." The utterance of my childhood nickname, the one my parents still call me, the one Edward once called me, only serves to anger me further.

"I said no, Edward! Just wait here." I turn and glare at him. He slides back into the driver's seat, albeit reluctantly, and allows me to walk into the pharmacy peacefully.

As I was waiting in line at the pharmacy, once again going over all of the disastrous possibilities of my life in the not-so-distant-future, I heard the pharmacist call a quick, "Next!" The pharmacist was all smiles, and way too happy for the mood I found myself in, "Hi. What can I help you with today?"

"Pick-up. For Isabella Swan." If she was bothered by my attitude, she didn't let on.

"Okay," she murmured as she typed my name into the computer. "Birthdate?"

"9/13."

"Here you are. Oh!" she murmured excitedly, "Prenatal vitamins? Congratulations!"

"Thanks," I muttered. "How much?" Sensing my distress she quickly finished the process.

I noticed that she was pretty. Very pretty. Blonde with big boobs. I noticed with distaste that she was very Tanya Denali. The exact type of woman my husband used to go after. Hell, for all I know, he still goes after this type. It's not out of the realm of possibility that he cheats. My face suddenly pales as a thought races through my head. What if my child is not his first accident baby? What if a baby is the least of my worries? Did Edward pass anything else on to me besides this baby? I distractedly grab the pharmacy bag, thank the too-perky pharmacist and walk to the car.

"All done?" Edward quietly murmured as I slid into the car, his eyes following my every move, searching for a clue.

I nod, not trusting my voice, the scary thought of Edward's love child running through my head. Edward has never been forthcoming with his whereabouts. What if all this time, all of those extended business trips were just visits to his other family? Oh god...what if there's more than one. More than one child. More than one extramarital girlfriend. And suddenly, I felt nauseous all over again. The car ride home was silent. I could feel my husband glancing my way every once in awhile. I never met his stare.

As we pulled into the driveway, I immediately threw my car door open wasting no time in entering the kitchen through the garage and racing up the steps. I go through the motions of changing into comfortable clothes, planning to hide out in my room and avoid Edward for as long as possible. I can't tell Edward the news until I've had time to come up with a game plan.

As I sat on the side of my bed staring unseeingly into my room I can't help but be worried about our families reactions. I'm sure our parents will be happy they've been pushing for children since the start of our marriage. Children only strengthen the bond between our two families, of course. The bond, after all was the whole reason Edward and I found ourselves in an arranged marriage.

The Cullens and Swans go back generations. Our parents grew up together. Our parent's parents grew up together, as well as their parent's parents and so on. As the two most affluent families in Seattle, they were drawn together-wealth attracts wealth. Because of our families long standing friendship, Edward and I's parents came to the conclusion that Edward and I must marry to bring the bond of our families together. I find it all ridiculous considering we're in the 21st century, but with families such as ours, tradition is not quick to die. As I was the only child born to the Swan family this generation, and as I am a woman, I cannot pass down my family's name. The Cullens and Swans decided to unite our families in a betrothal. The way they saw it our two family lines will now be carried down- just under the Cullen name. The way I saw it, our families needed to step out of the 16th century. I also never quite bought their explanation, but here I am 3 years into this marriage with no other idea as to how or why I landed here.

I can only assume Edward was not pleased when he learned of our betrothal. His forced smile at our wedding that fateful day 3 years ago comes unbidden into my mind. I wish, though not for the first time, that I had a brother. If my parents would have had a son there would be no reason for the arranged marriage. No reason to put Edward and I through this stress.

I'm drawn out of my musings by my growling stomach. I fully intended to ignore it and continue my wallowing, until my eyes met the pharmacy bag on my nightstand and as my hands meet my still flat stomach. There's a baby growing inside of me whether I choose to acknowledge it or not. Though my future is uncertain, one thing I do know is that it's my responsibility to take care of my baby. For the first time, I come to the realization that there's another life depending on me. I can't allow Edward's and my problems to interfere with the health of my baby.

With that thought in mind, I leave my room intent on fixing dinner and giving my child a chance to thrive. I slowly walk down the stairs taking extra care to be cautious. With my clumsy track record, I owe it to my child to be careful. I pass through the living room on my way to the kitchen, noticing Edward staring unseeingly at the Seahawks game playing on the flatscreen. Being as though Edward is an avid fan, I can't help but notice how odd it is that he isn't devoting his full attention. As I continue on my way, I can feel his eyes following me until I disappear from sight.

Once the dinner I quickly made is done, I call to Edward. We forego the dining room table opting to eat at the breakfast bar in the kitchen. Edward and I eat through a tense silence. I notice that I'm not hungry at all, but I continue to eat determined on my mission to keep my baby healthy. As I'm quickly finishing the last few bites of my meal preparing to hurriedly finish, I feel Edward's eyes on my right side.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" His deep voice in the silence of the room scares me, causing me to jump a little.

"No," after a pause I add, "it's nothing for you to worry about." And that's true. If the last 3 years are any indication, Edward will want little to do with this child. He'll wipe his hands clean of the unplanned baby and our failing marriage.

"Of course it's something for me to worry about. My wife's sick and won't tell me what's wrong. _Of course_ I'm worried!"

"Wife," I scoff. "Right." I slowly take my plate and walk to the kitchen sink quickly rinsing my dishes and placing them in the dishwasher. I turn back around to face Edward.

"Yes. Wife," he gestures to the rings on my left hand. I roll my eyes thinking of our sham of a marriage. Thinking of the ring he doesn't even wear. By the looks of it, the ring has been absent for quite awhile as I notice the absence of even an indent on his left ring finger.

"I'm your husband, Bella! I have a right to know when you're sick."

I open and close my mouth fighting to find a response. The stress of the day catches up to me, and before I know it I'm preparing to yell back. Before I have the chance, however, Edward closes his eyes, blows out a breath, reopens his eyes and apologizes. He _apologizes._

"God. I'm sorry Bella. I'm just so worried. And you won't tell me anything! You've barely said a word since you walked out of that hospital room. And the medicine! I'm just worried. Please tell me. Please just let me in, Bella." He pleads with eyes for me to understand.

"Let you in?" I laugh once without humor. "Let you in. Okay. Well I'm pregnant, Edward! You're about as _in_ as it gets!" My eyes quickly well up with tears and I flee to my room, ignoring my husband's pale face and wide eyes.


	4. Giving You an Out

As I run quickly to my room, I'm immediately hit with a deep sense of regret. How could I be so stupid? Why did I blurt that out unthinkingly? Before I even had the chance to digest it myself? My whole life is going to change now that Edward knows. Oh god, what if he wants me to move out? I can't handle the stress of a move, a newborn, and a divorce at the same time. And he will want a divorce. The Edward I knew all those years ago may have chosen differently, but not the man Edward's turned into. I open the door to my bedroom as my mind is drawn to old memories. Memories I haven't dared let myself think of in so long.

Being as Edward's family and mine have always been so close it's only natural that Edward and I grow up together. Along with society functions, family functions were also a joint affair. Edward, being 3 years older than me, has been around for as long as I can remember. My husband and I were virtual best friends up until I was 17 and he 20, when we learned of our betrothal. Our parents decided then to impart the news on us, because Mike Newton had developed a crush on me, and they didn't think it "prudent" of me to reciprocate. Never mind the fact that Edward's R rated exploits were the talk of the town. Our parents told us of our impending marriage, but ever since Edward has treated me with at best indifference and at worst annoyance. Edward, so repulsed by the idea of marrying me, couldn't bare to speak to me. And so our friendship died.

As I come out of my walk down memory lane I realize, with distaste, that I've been crying this entire time. I try to slow my tears, but I'm met, once again, with the uncertainty of my future. Of my baby's future. Will my baby even have a father? With that thought my tears transition into sobs.

"Bella?" Edward called out hesitantly from my doorway. "Oh, Bella." He murmured as I turned to face him, quickly wiping my face of any remaining tears. He makes a move to step towards me, and I counter with one step back, shaking my head as more tears fall.

"What do you want, Edward?" I tried to add annoyance into my voice, but the effect was diminished by my scratchy voice and continued tears.

"I just came to check on you," he says as he slowly inches closer to me. "Is it true?" Needing no clarification as to what he means, I nod my head as I mutter a low yes. Coming to a stop directly in front of me Edward nods his head distractedly. I grow annoyed after a prolonged silence in which Edward stares unseeingly at my stomach.

"You...you don't have to be responsible if you don't want to. Raising a child...it shouldn't be something you do just out of obligation."

Edward snaps his eyes to meet mine. "What are you saying, Bella?" He asks slowly. I can't decipher if I see hope or confusion in his eyes.

"You asked for a clean slate, Edward. I'm giving you one." He shakes his head, not seeming to understand where I'm going with this. Suddenly, looking at him, I realize I can no longer just go through the motions of my life. There's another person depending on me. A person I refuse to let be another victim of Edward's indifference. "If you plan on taking to parenthood as you have this marriage, then I'm giving you an out. A hall pass. A freebie. You can't make my child feel unwanted. I won't let you. You can't halfway commit to being this baby's father as you have this marriage."

"I never said I wanted a clean slate." He murmurs shaking his head, staring back at me with confusion in his eyes.

"You asked to forget that night, Edward. This baby, my baby, is a product of that night."

"I only asked for that, because I thought that's what you wanted. I was trying to make this easier on you," he laughs one quick humorless laugh before looking at me once more. "If you think for one second I'm going to just walk out on my child..." he trails off shaking his head. "I don't want a clean slate. Or a hall pass. Or a freebie. Or whatever else you can think of. This baby is mine just as much as it is yours."

"This is a big decision, Edward. You shouldn't take it so lightly. This isn't just about us anymore. Take some time. Think about it. We have time. But once you make a decision you have to stick with it. You can't pop in and out of a child's life." For a moment I allow myself to feel sympathy for my husband. He didn't want this marriage. I'm not going to force him into fatherhood.

"I don't need time, Bella," seeing that I'm prepared to argue he continues on. "You just found out today and you're already devoted to our baby-ready to protect him from his own father. I'm not taking this lightly, but I don't need to think about it either. I'm in. All in. And I won't change my mind." Edward walks closer to me bending slightly to look me in the eyes. "Regardless of what you think is the case, for this baby's sake and ours we need to talk about our marriage. Seriously talk about it."

My heart stops. Though our marriage is less than ideal and though I knew of the possibility that he'd want out, I still find myself unable to breathe.

With my eyes toward the floor, I nod my head slowly. "You want a divorce." It's a statement not a question. It's something I know in my heart to be true.

"No, Bella we can't get a divorce-"

I cut him off. "If it's our families you're worried about I'm sure we can make them understand. Besides we've produced them an heir, right?" I say as tears build in my eyes once more.

"Hey," He says sharply, drawing my attention to him once more. "I don't want a divorce. This has nothing to do with our families and everything to do with us. We can fix this, Bella. We can. Our problems in the past..." He shakes his head. "They weren't even really problems. We never tried. We never cared. But we have a reason to try. We have a reason to care. We were good friends once upon a time. Great friends even. Believe it or not, Bella, I felt more for you when I was 20 than is even possible for me to feel now at the age of 27 for anyone else.

"This can work. We just have to try." Edward gives me a quick light kiss on the forehead. The kiss is so fleeting that I'm left wondering if I imagined it. "You should sleep. It's been a long day. We'll talk more tomorrow-I won't go into the office." Edward draws me into his arms and with a tight hug and another quick kiss on the forehead, he leaves my room.

As I stare at his retreating form and hear the soft click of my closing door, all I can think of is his words.

Not only does he want the baby, he wants me? I shake my head disbelievingly opting to save it to think about tomorrow. If I try to dissect everything he said, there's no way I'd get any sleep tonight.

As I lay in bed, my hand resting on my stomach, I allow a brief flare of hope. Maybe, just maybe, my future isn't as bleak as I thought.


	5. The Talk

As I wake the next morning I'm assaulted with memories of the night before. A nights sleep has done little to ease my confusion over Edward's motivation in this. We can't continue in our marriage this way. I decide right then and there that a loveless marriage has the capability of being just as damaging to our child as a divorce does. Edward and I have no time to waste. I'm sure the 8 months will be swallowed by preparations and doctors appointments. As scared as I am to open this line of conversation with Edward, I know that there is no better time than now. I'm 24 for heavens sake, I should be able to carry on a conversation with my husband!

After I've called out of work for the second day in a row and gone through my morning routine, I sit on the edge of my bed with a pad of paper and a pen. Being as I get so flustered in Edward's presence and my shy nature in general, I figured a list of topics couldn't hurt. I don't want to leave any stone unturned.

1\. _What role do you plan on taking in this baby's life?_ Does he want to be a father? Or a cool uncle figure? Or nothing-completely absent?

2. _What do you think we should do about our marriage?_ Does he want a divorce? Does he want to be co-parents in a loveless marriage? Does he want to...try? For more?

3\. _Have you had any affairs? Cheated in any way?_ _Is that why you don't wear your ring?_ After a moments hesitation I add, _Do you have any other children?_

4. _Why did you leave that night without an explanation? Why did you want to forget everything and go back to how things were?_

I shake my head with a humorless smile on my face as I look down at the list I've made. Is it really not possible for me to have a decent conversation with this man? Without the aid of office supplies? Deciding I didn't care how this conversation was approached as long as it was had, I stand from my sitting position and walk out in search of Edward. _After food of course_ , my appetite seems to already be increasing.

After breakfast, I find Edward in his office with his desk chair turned away facing toward the expansive windows that overlook the back of our property. I take the time to follow his line of sight to admire the lush grass, salt-water heated pool, and the tall trees that surround the small pond that runs on the far edge of our property. _Only the best for the Cullens_ , I think sarcastically.

Returning my attention to Edward I clear my throat causing him to swing his chair to face me. He stands quickly, looking at me warily as if he doesn't know what to expect from me. That makes sense, I suppose, as I'm experiencing the same phenomenon where his moods and reactions are concerned.

I wave my pad full of questions in the air as I ask, "Can we talk?"

"Of course." He continues hesitantly. "Have you eaten?" His eyes drift to my midsection and I'm filled with shock. He's actually worried about our baby's wellbeing?

"Yes..." I trail off. "So?" And I gesture to the seat in front of me.

He seems to snap out of his thoughts. "Sorry, yes, sit." He says as he sinks into his own chair across the desk. He looks at me prompting me to begin the conversation.

"I brought..." I gesture to my note pad. Seeing his confusion I continue, "I wrote down some questions for you. I ask that you please be honest in all your answers."

Hiding his smile behind his hand, he gestures for me to continue, murmuring a low "Go ahead."

I take a deep breath, thinking the time is now or never and quickly read my first question. "What role do you plan on taking in my baby's life?"

He looks at me and pauses slightly. " _Your_ baby. Right. I plan to be a father, Isabella." He looks at me sharply as if he's already grown tired of me questioning his role in our child's life.

"And you've thought this through? You're sure?" He responds with a sharp nod, his eyes daring me to continue this line of questioning. "Okay," I murmur. "Moving on...What do you think we should do? About our marriage?"

"Everything I said yesterday...I meant it. I want to work on our marriage." _Must he be so vague_ , I think.

"Meaning..." I prod him. "Do you mean strictly co-parents? Married, living together, raising a child? Or do you want to try...more?"

He mouths the word "more" as if searching for it's meaning. "By more you mean love, correct?" I hesitate and then swiftly nod my head. "Yes, Isabella. Love." He pauses and returns his eyes to mine. "I think we have a good chance. We were great friends, like I said yesterday."

"If we're going to continue this marriage, Edward, I don't want to be your _friend_. If you're serious about this then I need to be your wife-nothing less."

"And I need to be your husband. It's something we'll both need to work on. But, again, I meant what I said. All those years ago..." he trails off shaking his head. "You were so much more to me. Even then."

"Yes, it was the same for me," I murmur. "Until it wasn't." I say, thinking of the transition after we heard of our betrothal. When our worlds changed.

"Yes," he said lowly. "Until it wasn't." His eyes pierce mine as though he's looking for answers.

"We'll have to come back to that," I decide. My curiosity about what changed all those years ago has never died. "Next question." I look down at question number three and swallow thickly.

Sensing my hesitation, Edward asks, "What is it?" I look up to see that he's grown concerned.

I shake my head one quick time. As I look at him I lose all the confidence I'd gained. As scared as I am to ask the question, I'm even more scared to find out the answer.

Seeing that I don't plan on asking the next question anytime soon, Edward slowly reaches across his desk, gently prying the notepad out of my hands. He turns the notepad right-side-up and his eyes search for the illusive question number 3. I know the moment he finds the question as his eyes go wide and his face pales slightly.

 _Oh no_. I shake my head, my mind racing. _Has he cheated?_ Or even worse _does he have other children?_

Fearing he may lie, I murmur, "Honesty, remember?"

He nods quickly once. His eyes return to mine and I can see the fear in them.

 _Oh Edward...what did you do?_


	6. Honesty

_Oh Edward...what did you do?_

Seconds pass by feeling as though they're minutes as I stare at my husband, begging that my suspicions were wrong. That he wouldn't break our vows no matter how shallow our marriage was. That he wouldn't have children with another woman when he's known since we were kids that being a mother was the one thing I wanted more than anything.

"Edward...please tell me you didn't." As he makes no move to indicate that he didn't cheat, my eyes fill up with tears. As he looks into my eyes and sees them welling up he quickly reacts.

"Oh Bella...please don't cry, baby." He looks at me and I've never seen my strong powerful husband look so lost.

"Please just answer the question, Edward. Please. You owe me that."

He nods once, distractedly, his eyes looking as though they're focusing on memories. As though he's anywhere but in the here and now.

"I...tried. Once," seeing my panicked face and the tears that quickly streak down my face he rushes to add, "But I didn't go through with it, Bella. I swear I didn't."

"But you tried?" My voice is low and even I can hear the absolute defeat in my voice.

"Yes," he murmurs looking at me with regret plain on his face. "2 years ago."

"You tried to cheat on me one year into our marriage?" My voice is full of incredulity.

"Please just hear me out." Seeing that I plan on keeping quiet, he continues. "I didn't know what to do. We never spoke and I felt like I was walking on eggshells every minute I was in this house. Jasper took me out one night...this was right before he met Alice. You know how he used to be before her." He looks into my eyes, begging for me to understand. My mind goes unbidden to the memories from what feels like so long ago. It's true that Alice tamed Jasper. Before he met her he was known to be quite the partier...his scandalous activities starting in high school rivaled even Edward's.

"We went out for drinks and I promise you, _I promise you_ , Bella, I had no intention to cheat."

"But..." I prod.

"But I got drunk."

"You got drunk," I scoff. "So I'm supposed to overlook this? Because you got drunk?"

"Of course not!" He rushes to add. "I'm just...I just want to be honest." He looks at me and after a pause continues. "Jas and I were just catching up. Spending time together on his leave. Soon it got late and there were so many people in the bar." He shakes his head his eyes focused on memories from 5 years ago. "A woman approached me. She asked if I wanted to dance. I said yes...it was harmless. I didn't even touch her. Jas and I kept drinking and before I know it, she's kissing me."

"And it stopped there?"

"No," he murmurs lowly. "She grabbed my hand and led me to one of the hallways in the back of the bar. It was deserted."

I look at him sharply, telling him to get to the point. Him dragging it out is causing even more stress.

"And we kissed. She...she unbuckled my pants. She tried to...you know." Seeing my confused look he continues. "She wanted to have sex. But I stopped her. She didn't even touch me." He gestures uncomfortably down towards his pants.

"Edward..." I shake my head. "Why?"

"I didn't know what was going to happen to our marriage. We didn't even talk!"

"So that's a pass to cheat?" He quickly shakes his head, opening his mouth to speak, but I cut him off. "So in your mind I should've been kissing drunk guys in bars these last 3 years?"

"I don't think its a pass to do anything! It was dumb and a mistake and nothing like that ever happened again." He fixes his eyes on me and as he continues, even though I don't want to at the moment, I cant help but notice the honesty in his eyes. "Nothing like that _will_ ever happen again."

Even though I can see he's being honest, I'm still mad. I'm seething.

"So you left me, your wife, sitting at home twiddling my thumbs while you went out and had a grand old time with your manwhore cousin?" I shake my head once more, incredulous. "I stay home for 3 years and cook and clean and keep up with this ridiculously large house you just _insisted_ we have all the while I stay a virgin? For 3 years!"

"It was a mistake. One I regretted as soon as it was over. Hell, one I regretted during. I can't take it back but I'm promising you I'm trying my best to be honest with you. I promise you that you never have to worry about this again. I swear it, Bella. I want to try. Really try. We're going to be a real family soon." He quickly stands and walks to kneel in front of me taking my hands in his. "And before you say it, I'm not doing this out of obligation. I want our baby. I want _you_. You can be mad for as long as you want, Bella, that's your right. But please promise me that you'll try too. _Please_."

I think back on the last 3 years our marriage. Edward was exactly right in his description. _Eggshells_. This revelation of him kissing another woman 2 years ago hurts, but what have I done in the entirety of our marriage to make this work? Edward hasn't tried, yes, but neither have I. Him telling me he cheated would be enough for me to lay the blame entirely on him, but do I want to? It's time to put my pride aside and take my part in the blame. Our marriage isn't going to work if I let him shoulder all of the regret.

 _That doesn't mean he has to know that now_ , I think.

"You've just made it even harder to believe that you really want this, Edward. That you want me."

"I know, baby. But I'll prove it to you. I will."

As I look down at this beautiful man in front of me I let hope, not for the first time, flare. It's no doubt going to be a hard journey, but I owe it to my child and myself to try this.

"I need time...to think." As I see the crushed look on my husband's face I almost regret withholding the fact that I still want to try to fix our marriage. Almost.

"Of course," He murmurs releasing my hands and sitting back on his heels.

I get up noticing his saddened face once more and turn to walk towards the door. I've almost reached the door when a thought stops me in my tracks. "You don't have any other kids then...right?"

"No! No, of course not." He's quick to add. I nod once as relief immediately fills me and I walk out of the door.

I turn on my heel and return in the doorway to see Edward in the same position as I left him.

"Oh, and one last thing, Edward." He eyes me curiously. "Wear your ring." I look pointedly at his bare left hand and prepare to turn quickly to exit the room.

I just barely notice the ghost of a smile on his face as I turn back around.


	7. Author's Note

Hello! It's been two years since I started this story, but I'm hoping to finally add to Betrothed at Birth. I realized while rereading the chapters that the concept was a little farfetched even for fanfiction. I don't want to completely change the story, so I'm changing small details in an effort to make this a little more realistic.

So, the first change is that Edward and Bella have been married for _three_ years versus the original six. In addition, Edward and Bella did not find out about the betrothal until they were 20 and 17, respectively. This gives their younger characters time to develop a stronger relationship before the actual marriage. Though that may seem contradictory to the story, it will all eventually be revealed.

In addition, Edward and Bella married when they were 21 and 24, following Bella's early college graduation. I had her graduate a year early so that her character wasn't a recent college graduate in the current plot.

These changes bring Edward and Bella to ages 27 and 24 with 3 years of marriage under their belts.

I hope that some of you did not completely give up on this story and that the plot changes make this already unrealistic plot just a little bit more believable.

The small changes I've mentioned above have been added to the previous 6 chapters. Though the changes are small, it has been 2 years so I recommend rereading the chapters if you choose to follow this story. I definitely had to reread them as I had almost completely forgotten what I had written lol.

Thank you all so much! I hope you enjoy the rest of the story.


	8. The Cracked Egg

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Stephanie Meyer. I do not own Twilight or the Cracked Egg.**

* * *

I wake up the next morning realizing, with a start, just how lonely I was. Ignoring each other and our marriage had become Edward and I's status quo the past 3 years. Waking up this morning alone in bed, I acknowledge that maybe this really wasn't what I wanted anymore. Edward and I never shared a room let alone a bed outside of that one night after the club. I wonder what the transition will be like from our normal to trying for _more_. Surely "normal" married couples shared rooms, right? I briefly consider making another list with the questions that I've developed since our talk last night, but decide against it. Maybe my first step in bettering our marriage should be being able to actually have a conversation with the man?

I leisurely roll out of bed and head into my bathroom. It's Saturday and I'm actually hoping Edward and I will spend time together today. Admittedly, I have not one clue how he typically spends his weekends, but I'd prefer to get a head start on figuring out our next steps. Specifically, I want to discuss our transition from roommates to spouses. Taking my shy nature into account, however, I'm sure this conversation will be painfully awkward.

After my shower I throw on a casual blouse and jeans, debating whether or not I should even bother with makeup. As my stomach rolls with a bout of nausea, however, I quickly decide against it.

Walking into the kitchen the smell of coffee immediately hits me. I spot Edward sitting in one of the stools browsing on his laptop. He's dressed casually, similar to me I realize with relief.

As he hears my footsteps approaching, he closes the lid of his laptop and gives me an uncertain smile. "Morning, Bella."

I greet him as warmly as I'm comfortable, hoping to dispel some of the nervous energy. "Hi, Edward. Sleep well?"

He nods quickly, getting up from the stool and walking closer to where I stand on the opposite side of the counter.

"I was thinking we could get breakfast this morning. Unless you have plans...?" He's uncertain again, but this is to be expected. If I don't know how he spends his weekends, I'm sure he's in a similar state of hesitancy about our day.

"Of course. We have a lot to talk about." He answers me again with a nod, walking over to the sink to dump what's left of his coffee. As he places his cup in the dishwasher, however, something catches my eye.

"Oh," I gasp surprised, my eyes firmly trained to his left hand.

Edward turns towards me at my noise of surprise, quickly following my gaze to where his wedding band sits. I realize that his cheeks turn slightly pink at my discovery.

"More, right?" He asks while running his hand nervously through his hair.

I nod with a soft smile and answer simply, "More."

Edward takes me to a small family owned restaurant about 15 minutes away from our house. After throwing the car in park, he quickly rounds the car to the passenger side, offering a hand as I climb out of his black Mercedes. After giving him a quick smile, we walk towards the front door. As I look upon the slightly familiar entrance, Edward softly squeezes the hand he hadn't let go of.

"You used to love this place."

I'm confused for a moment, but as we walk through the front door and up to the hostess, I read the sign across the front. _The Cracked Egg_. I realize that I did love this place. Or I used to. It had been so long since I'd been here.

When I was a sophomore in high school, Edward brought me here for the first time. It was a mom and pop place with the best waffles in all of Seattle. How he knew that, I still don't know. Growing up Edward and I never went to many places like this. Too often we spent our time at fancy brunches and even fancier dinners. When Edward came home for Thanksgiving break his freshman year of college, he brought me here to cheer me up. I was in yet another fight with my mother, probably over my choice of career. Edward noticed the tension and somehow convinced our parents to let us skip the brunch our fathers had set up with associates from Swan & Cullen. Living in the shadow of Renee Swan was always something I was insecure about and, at the time, no one but Edward knew that. Though I was never very close to Renee, her disappointment in me always seemed to hit a particularly sensitive spot. Coming to a place where my mother would never be caught dead in allowed me a minimal sense of satisfaction. After that day Edward always somehow made it so we could sneak away from Seattle high society and visit our favorite restaurant. Until we learned of the betrothal, of course.

"Your table is right this way, follow me." I was startled from my memories as the hostess begin to lead us through the almost empty restaurant to a private booth in the back corner. Edward murmured a low thank you and I quickly flashed a smile as I slid into my side of the booth.

My gaze roamed around the small dining area, and I realized I was glad Edward brought me here. 7 years ago this is the exact place he would have taken me when something major happened in my life. A failed marriage and an unplanned pregnancy certainly fall into that category.

"Thank you for bringing me here, Edward."

He quickly looked up from the menu he was looking at. "Of course. I figured this was the perfect place."

I opened my mouth to respond, but was cut off by the bottle blonde waitress that quickly approached our table.

"Hi, my name's Lauren and I'll be your server today. What can I get you?" I noticed with displeasure that her gaze didn't wander from Edward at all, and I quickly raised an incredulous eyebrow at her. I saw Edward peeking at me from the corner of my eye.

"I'll just have a coffee, please. My wife will have an orange juice." He flashed me a smile as he spoke to her, completely disregarding her attentions. The spark of jealously that flew through me quickly vanished. I obviously knew my husband was handsome, but seeing someone so clearly interested in him was uncomfortable. We were in such an uncertain place right now and in a couple months I'd be as big as a house. The last thing I needed was competition.

"Thank you," I muttered, embarrassed. A flash of red lit up my cheeks.

"Of course, Bella." There was a slight hint of humor in his voice. He continued more seriously, "we should probably start figuring things out, yeah?"

"We should," I agreed. "I'm only 6 weeks along, so we should have a couple of weeks before we have to deal with our parents. I also overheard one of the teachers at Olympic saying it was best to wait until I was 12 weeks anyway to share the news."

"That's good," Edward's shoulders relaxed a bit at the news. He knew how overbearing they were. "I guess for now the biggest issue is...us."

The waitress interrupted again to take our orders, and though she was slightly more friendly than I'd expect was normal, she did tone it down.

After placing our orders and receiving our drinks, I took a quick breath in preparation for our discussion. "So. Us. I was actually wondering..." I trailed off, averting my eyes, but not before noting Edward's curiosity. Steeling my nerves and determined to have this conversation, I continued. "I was wondering how we would transition. How do we go from the standoff semi friendship we have now to coparents and spouses?"

Edward contemplated his answer, taking a sip of his coffee. "I don't think there's a certain way or a rule book to how to have a real marriage after not having a relationship at all. I'd like to do this the right way, you know. Date. Develop feelings. Progress naturally. But with the baby," he paused, giving a quick shrug. "We're kind of on a timeline. I think the next 7 and a half months will go by quicker than we expect."

I nodded, agreeing that though we did have the length of this pregnancy, there were other things to consider. "Right. We need to focus on preparing to have this baby. I know this wasn't expected on either ends." I look away, hoping to hide my confusion. "So what do we do then?"

"I think we just... _try_." He responds.

" _Try_?" I ask. "It's not as easy as just pretending to be married, Edward. We've been doing that around our parents for years." For the length of our marriage we of course attended functions deemed fit for our parents. Society events and work parties for Edward at our father's law firm, mostly. We played the happy couple for our parents and their associates, but in reality our marriage was cold at best.

"Of course it won't be. But, Bella, we were almost there 7 years ago. If our parents hadn't chosen this for us we would have gotten here eventually."

Our food arrives then and I'm given a moment to reflect on 7 years ago. On what could have been.

It's true that Edward and I once had a very close relationship. Growing up together we were constantly experiencing the same things. Being only children, we were the only ones who could relate to each other. To the high expectations and the strict schedules. To conforming to our parents wishes and only doing what was proper. Eventually all the time we spent together evolved into something else. We were getting older and though we were never in a relationship officially, Edward and I were together in every way that counts. Though our physical relationship never went past kisses here and there, he was the only person in my life I could count on at the time. I didn't meet Alice until much later in our lives when she started dating Edward's cousin Jasper. The real reason our relationship never moved further was simple. Our parents. Charlie Swan and Carlisle Cullen controlled almost every aspect of Edward and I's lives. Every aspect except one-each other. They couldn't control our relationship, because they didn't know about it.

Gradually the time we spent together lessened and our closeness faded. I began to hear about Edward's exploits-mainly spread by Tanya herself. It hurt, of course, but by that time we were practical strangers. Edward eventually went off to college. The only time we ever spent together after that was here in this restaurant. Up until September of my senior year. We learned of our parents' plans then and any remaining closeness we had vanished.

After shuffling my food around my plate lost in memories, I continue our conversation. "Edward, there's no way of knowing where we would have ended up. You left for school and you had _Tanya,"_ Edward scoffs, but I continue. "we were close before yeah, but..." I trail off, looking down at my plate again.

"Bella," Edward says my name softly, but I don't look up. He reaches over and gently touches my chin, lifting it slightly. "You know Tanya wasn't important to me." He shakes his head quickly, takes a deep breath and continues. "I think it's time I tell you the reason I distanced myself from you, from our relationship."

I finally look him in the eye, desperate to know what broke our bond all of those years ago, but also scared as hell to find out.


End file.
